At Trayplant, the market leader in Europe, they grow strawberry and raspberry plants of the highest quality.

For over 20 years, Van der Avoird Trayplant has specialized in young plant growing, providing young plants for growers of strawberries and raspberries. This company can be called a true innovator in this niche segment of the horticulture world. As pioneers, they were the first who started growing raspberry plants in a tray and invented the wheel. Nowadays, ‘trayplants’ are quite common in competition so making a difference by innovation to stay ahead is key at Trayplant.

Known for their innovations in both products, automation, and sustainability, they recently won the Dutch Horticulture Award in 2023 and the WKO Sustainability Award in 2024. Their commitment to advanced methods, including a unique four-layer growing system, sets them apart. However, managing such ambitious operations comes with challenges, which Agriware ERP has helped them tackle, as shared by Kevin, IT Manager at Van der Avoird Trayplant.

Managing Peak Season and Complex Processes

During peak season, Trayplant faces an intense, interconnected web of tasks—from mother plant cuttings and young plant production to logistics and customer shipments—requiring precise timing and coordination. “Our high season is intense, like a marathon sprint,” says Kevin. “Every process impacts the next, so a minor delay can cascade through the entire system.” Agriware ERP gives them end-to-end visibility, from planning to execution, enabling adjustments that keep operations running smoothly despite the complexity.

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Maximizing Greenhouse Space with Precision Planning

Available space is a crucial element of success, especially during peak times. Agriware’s space planning tools allow the nursery to plan and fine-tune greenhouse capacity, and more. “With Agriware’s graphical planning tools, we can efficiently plan and manage our space,” says Kevin. “We have to manage multiple production sites with indoor greenhouses and outdoor fields, keeping control requires precise planning, and Agriware lets us organize each area effectively to maximize the utilization of it.”

“We have to manage multiple production sites with indoor greenhouses and outdoor fields"

Innovation at Trayplant: Introducing Paulownia Trees!

After years of expertise in berry plant cultivation, Trayplant has embarked on an exciting new venture: cultivating young Paulownia trees. Known as one of the fastest-growing trees globally, Paulownia is ideal for sustainable, biobased production, offering farmers a versatile crop option. These trees are also grown in trays, allowing Van der Avoird to expand its product lineup and make efficient use of greenhouse space during the berry off-season.

Integrating Paulownia into the greenhouse workflow optimizes both the existing company infrastructure and it's workforce. This innovative approach keeps greenhouse spaces, specialized equipment, and skilled labor fully utilized almost year-round. However, adding new crops to your production facility requires meticulous planning to transition seamlessly from berry plants to Paulownia cultivation. “With Agriware as our central system, we’ve been able to smoothly integrate new crops like Paulownia into our production plans,” explains Kevin, underscoring the flexibility Agriware provides for multi-crop management.

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Customer management and Financial Management

Maintaining timely, accurate updates on plant availability is crucial for Trayplant’s customers. With Agriware, they track young plant readiness and coordinate shipments effectively, ensuring customer satisfaction. “We rely on the weekly availability updates to keep our customers informed and prevent last-minute changes in the cold-store inventory of available young plants,” Kevin notes.

Agriware’s financial tools have also streamlined cash flow with prepayment and invoicing features, saving valuable time. “Efficient cash flow is key in our industry, and Agriware helps us manage it seamlessly,” Kevin adds.

Agriware’s financial tools streamline cash flow with efficient prepayment and invoicing features, saving valuable time.

Future plans with Agriware ERP

Peak Capacity and Labor Optimization

We plan to use Agriware ERP’s planning functionality to streamline labor and machine use, a critical need during our busiest seasons. “Coordinating labor and machinery during peak periods would be much easier with Agriware,” says Kevin. “Our teams would stay updated on priorities, allowing us to make quick adjustments as needed.” Agriware enhances daily efficiency, letting us quickly reschedule tasks to meet production goals without overloading the organization.

For Kevin, Agriware ERP not only supports Trayplants’s current needs but also provides a solid foundation for continued innovation and growth. “Agriware scales with us, helping us stay agile and efficient as we expand,” he says. For berry nurseries aiming to streamline complex operations, Agriware ERP works great.

Ready to optimize your plant nursery operations? Agriware ERP offers custom solutions for young plant growers.

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